SBA publishes instructions regarding the new “universal” Mentor-Protégé Program

Applicants are required to register in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to creating their profile in certify.sba.gov. Applicants (both prospective Protégés and Mentors) will be required to complete an online training module as part of the application process, and to upload a certificate of completion to certify.sba.gov before they are allowed to complete the application process.

The application itself will be entirely electronic, and will require that certain documents – certificate of completion for the online training module, signed Mentor-Protégé agreement(s), size determination letters, and other documents – be uploaded to certify.sba.gov, or completed in narrative form within that web portal. Although Mentors are not required to provide financial statements and tax returns during the application process, the SBA retains the right to request such documentation during the reporting and evaluation processes.

Dates to watch

The SBA will begin accepting applications for the All Small Mentor Protégé Program on October 1, 2016.

The application, approval and monitoring process will be centralized in the SBA’s HQ office in Washington, D.C. Applications from prospective participants will only be accepted using the new online application through certify.sba.gov. Any application received prior to October 1, 2016, or received in any other format other than through the certify.sba.gov web portal will not be considered.